Ford wants to use the smartphone as a wireless hub, while GM is working with AT&T to pipe connectivity directly into its cars.

America’s biggest car makers have realized the cars they make are in fact the ultimate mobile devices – moving at speed, and pushing faster data speeds too. Both Ford and GM are moving to make their cars smarter with web capability, but they announced different strategies at Mobile World Congress today. While GM announced it was partnering with AT&T to bring wireless connectivity to its cars next year, Ford partnered with an Internet player, music streaming service Spotify, using iPhones as the wireless hubs for its cars.

Ford’s strategy offers more in-car development, sooner. It only has to wait for Spotify to release an update to its iOS app (which it says will be in the first quarter of this year) and drivers who have Ford SYNC in their car will be able to use Spotify in the Car with voice commands.

U2 has partnered with Amazon Music for a new online radio broadcast leading up to the band's new album, Songs of Experience, release on Friday.

The U2 Experience is the first of its kind for the tech company, airing a mix of historical and new exclusive content produced by Amazon Music, as well as the band's biggest hits and live recordings of songs from The Joshua Tree and Songs of Experience recorded during The Joshua Tree Tour 2017. The programming is designed to create a chronology of the band's career as told through commentary and interviews spanning back more than 40 years.

Most recently, the audio show will feature an exclusive interview with U2 and Amazon Music's global head of programming, Alex Luke, which took place during a stop in Sao Paolo, Brazil, on tour this Fall.

“Oprah’s show marks a big, pivotal moment for podcast advertising,” said Kolesa. “On both the content and the advertising side of things, this is a spectacular entry point for brands that were waiting to align with something they’re comfortable with.”

By embracing the podcast format and showing that a large brand can enter into this category, Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations will likely ease advertisers’ concerns about the medium, especially considering its trusted content and hefty name. The advertising space on podcasts is crowding more every day, but it’s still an experimental situation; the team at OWN wasn’t sure that this type of show would connect, and the people at ThirdLove see it as an evolving channel that’s worthwhile for emerging brands to join while they can.

“It’s a real testament to the content we produce that our ads sold out for the rest of the year as quickly as they did,” said Mitchell. “We realized early on that this podcast could be monetized as a business, and we’re excited to use this turnkey and elegant way of reaching more people.”

Mitchell also said that OWN’s larger brands have started asking intently about getting involved with the podcast—including companies who “haven’t been spending money in podcasts before.”

“They said ‘if you guys are there, maybe we should start being there too,'” she said. “We didn’t know if this experiment was going to work, but it’s continued to grow from the start.”

As another dramatic year in media draws to a close much of the excitement for 2018 is centred around what content makers see as the potential nirvana of the "new" video platforms.

Netflix is reported to have an $8bn (£6bn) budget for content in 2018. At Mipcom, producers bypassed traditional broadcasters to make a beeline for Facebook Watch. And Jane Hunt, the veteran TV exec who stole Bake Off from inside the BBC’s oven, is going to Apple to head up their video strategy for Europe. Without doubt these are exciting times for video programme makers looking for new routes to audiences and potentially for brands looking to reach consumers in fresh, targeted and cost-effective ways.

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.